


Another Day

by schfiftytwo



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee, Coffee Shops, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 06:54:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3318128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schfiftytwo/pseuds/schfiftytwo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jemma learns the hard way that coffee is serious stuff. But maybe it’s not all so bad…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this story came to me after a friend of mine helped to re-ignite my inner fic writer, and it ended up becoming the first story I penned in a very long time! I pulled some experiences I had in the past as a senior barista at a *particular* coffee shop and mixed them with SHIELD because why not?
> 
> Let me know what you think. :)

_Well this is different. But it’s all for the best, right?_

Jemma looked at herself in the mirror. Her new khaki pants and white blouse went well with the deep blue apron they had given her, emblazoned with the company’s minimalist cup logo. Her hair, neatly tied into a ponytail, fit squarely behind the visor she got as well. Twirling around, she couldn't help but admire the charm of her uniform.

“Are you ready to start?”

She turned to meet the source of the voice. Standing before her was a slightly unkept but altogether handsome barista, his eyes slightly drooped in what she knew was from many long, sleepless nights. His apron was spotted with the stains of labor.

“Yes! My name is Jemma. And yours?”, she said, putting her hand out to shake his.

“Well, everyone here just calls me Heisenberg. It’s a bit of a nickname, so let’s just start there. I’ll be training you today!”

 _Heisenberg._ Was he a scientist like her? Did he do some kind of work in physics, like her colleague Leo Fitz?

“Wait, Heisenberg? Like, the theoretical physicist? How’d you get a name like that?”

He scoffed, a short smile emanating from the corner of his jaw. “Well, it’s a bit embarrassing, but I love Breaking Bad - have you seen it? - It’s just amazing! I watch a lot of TV so all the people here kind of just threw that name at me and it stuck, gosh like it’s one of the best things I’ve ever seen, absolutely SLAYS me every time I see…”

 _Oh. He’s one of those…_ , Jemma thought to herself. She was kind of looking forward to having a science buddy around. Back when she was a pure researcher, she never really had time to do much else let alone watch TV.

She supposed he was nice enough though, smiling and nodding with his description of this show she’d only heard about in passing.

“…and the ENDING, wow. Wasn’t expecting that. But anyway, I’ll tell you about that later. We’re here to learn, right?”

He sauntered over to the imposing-looking espresso machine, its sides caked with coffee syrup and bean grounds. The glass hopper that topped it was filled with glistening espresso beans, almost like they were sweating caffeine.

Around her, the shop bustled with the voices of people and students chatting; a classic jazz coffee shop soundtrack playing over the house speakers.

“Alright, so this is the main machine of the hour, and the thing you’re going to be working on the most! Seems a bit complicated at first, but it’s really very simple. There are buttons here for pulling different kinds of espresso shots. You’ll be usually using this one here, which pulls out something like this…”

He pressed the button. Jemma watched intently, her eyes analyzing his motions. The machine uttered a guttural noise, and Heisenberg pulled out a shot glass from under the machine. Holding it under a spout, a rich, nutty-smelling brown liquid began to pour out, filling the glass nearly to the top. He held it up for her to examine closely.

“You see how the liquid coalesces? What you have are three main parts to a shot of espresso. The heart, which is the deep center of the shot, the body, which is the dark layer above and encapsulating the heart, and the crema, which is the foam that forms at the top. Each layer is distinct, and separates evenly in about 18 seconds. Anything past that, and you lose a lot of the flavor of the shot.”

Holding it out to her, he motioned for her to taste it. Jemma reached for the glass, putting it up to her lips. The hot espresso felt immediately bitter on her unprepared tongue, but after a second began to resemble flavors of cinnamon, caramel, and nutmeg. Its aroma filled her with earthy tones, transforming between chocolate and chestnuts.

_Absolutely wonderful._

For so long she had only the crappy instant coffee she found for a dollar at the corner store, but this was something special.

She smiled. _Wow._

He picked up the glass from her, tossing it in the dish rack. “Haha, it’s good, right? Absolutely perfect stuff. I never get tired of it. But alright! Phase two. Steaming milk. This is a bit more of an art; here you need to watch what you do. With espresso you just hit a button, here you have a bit more finesse involved.”

Grabbing a metal pitcher, he filled it with some cold whole milk and held it to a short nozzle protruding from the espresso machine. Jemma again turned her attention to his handiwork. Buttons, shot glasses, and pitchers. She had this down.

“This here is the steaming wand, your tool for creating nearly every hot drink we’ve got.”, he said. “You need to make sure that you position it in such a way that you introduce steam into the milk to froth it, and create the slightly sweet, thick foam you see in all those fancy coffee pictures on the internet.”

He took ahold of a lever next to the wand and pulled it down. Immediately, a sound like ripping paper came from the pitcher as the milk began to swirl and bubble. After hitting a certain temperature, Heisenberg pulled the lever and removed the pitcher, now filled to the brim with a thick foam.

Pouring it into a tall glass, Jemma watched as the milk formed a thick, almost milkshake-like substance, topped with foam that now resembled cream.

“Beautiful, right? This is what all your steamed milk will look like when its done right. Nice and thick, not too watery, and slightly sweet to the taste.”

Jemma observed the milk, feeling confident about her choice of employment. She used to discover amazing things that rocked the scientific world, but the simplicity of making coffee intrigued her. This was cool stuff.

“Alright, now it’s your turn. Let’s see what you’ve picked up.”

She looked at him earnestly and stepped gingerly over to the machine. Picking up a steaming pitcher, she filled it with milk and held it under the steaming pitcher. Pulling the lever toward her, she waited for the sound of ripping paper.

**POP.**

It happened in a split second. The liquid in her pitcher exploded into her face, covering her with slightly warmed milk. It dripped down her white blouse and dampened her new apron.

_Oh dear._

She opened her eyes and looked down at herself. She was covered in milk. Around her, the whole coffee shop seemed to stop and stare. Concerned faces. Curious faces. Out of the corner of her eye she saw one particular face stifle a giggle, a smile left behind as their hand cupped their mouth.

Turning her head, Jemma met eyes with the giggler.

It was girl she’d never seen before. She had a youthful, friendly face atop a sinewy body. Her hair was wonderfully wavy, and her bangs crested at her forehead and fell from the top of her head like a waterfall. She was wearing the most casual of clothes, a pair of teal chinos with a slender white v-neck that traced her form. Around her shoulders sat a grey infinity scarf, tousled and linty.

Jemma blushed, blinking at her. Something inside her stirred as the girl came up to the coffee bar. She was _simply stunning._

“Looks like you’re having some trouble there.”

Jemma looked up at her. She felt like falling into her soft eyes.

“Ohh, no no, it’s fine, it’s just my first day, and I was learning how to steam milk, and…well…”

Her brain was working a mile a minute to sustain her conversation.

_Come on, don’t fail me you wondrous brain, you._

“well…now I’m covered in milk. Slightly. It’s not everywhere though, just…well ok, it’s all over me. At least its warm, right…?”

_Wow._

The giggler laughed again, this time with a new liveliness.

“Ahah, it’s completely alright! I’m sure you’ll be a great barista in no time. You’ve got the look, now you just need to work on the skill!”

Jemma’s eyes fluttered for a split second.

_I…I have the look…?_

She began to notice that the sun shining behind the giggler was outlining her, almost like a goddess. The giggler’s smile shone through soft-looking lips. The charm emanating from her went straight through Jemma’s heart like an arrow.

“Jemma! Go dry off.”

Heisenberg’s voice cut through her mental monologue. She felt a towel on her head being rubbed around. The milk froth felt sticky on her scalp.

“What can I get started for you today? Sorry about Jemma here, she’s new and learning the ropes still. I promise I won’t make your drink explode!”

Heisenberg laughed, and the giggler joined in. Jemma walked away from the bar to clean up in the back room. Wiping the milk from her face, she went and peeked out to the bar.

“Alright, so a triple grande skim caramel macchiato with a chocolate drizzle to top in a double cup, you got it, Miss…?”

“Skye.”, she said with a grin.

“Wonderful, let me get that for you.”

 _Skye._ What a wonderful name. Jemma couldn’t help but wish she could be the one making her drink.

She watched with a hint of jealousy as Heisenberg pulled out all the stops for Skye, flipping cups, twirling bottles of caramel sauce, and making conversation about TV to her without missing a beat. He made it seem effortless

And here she was. Couldn’t even steam one pitcher of milk.

When it was all done, Heisenberg gave Skye her drink, clearly fashioned expertly. On the side of her cup, she noticed Heisenberg’s scribble. Squinting her eyes a bit to read it, she mouthed the words to herself.

_**From Heisenberg, with love, to Skye. Enjoy! ;)** _

Jemma cringed at the script. _A wink face…?_

If she was making it, she imagined she’d have a few better words for this beautiful young woman. And maybe a few more faces.

Patting herself down more, Jemma clutched her hands together. If she could change the world with her science, then she could certainly make one drink perfectly, for her.

Jemma blushed again as she thought to herself.

_For Skye._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After meeting a ray of sunshine, Jemma sets her mind to work mastering the skills of a barista in the hopes of nabbing Skye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two of my short little coffeeshop Skimmons ditty. As I used to say after every hand-off at the bar:
> 
> Enjoy!

_No, no. Not quite, Jemma. Not quite. You need to hold it at an angle, a bit more like this._

_Jemma, you have to fill the espresso hopper before you expect any coffee to come out…_

_WAIT NO DON’T PUT THOSE BEANS IN THE GRINDER…!_

_Did you forget to put a filter on the brewer pot…? There’s grounds in the coffee…_

_Jemma, the whipped cream needs to be charged when its cold, it doesn’t set right if it’s warm…_

_You’ve got the look!_

She awoke with a start. Her dreams were playing tricks on her. Rolling out of bed, she gazed over at her clock.

6:30am.

_Time to get up._

Jemma lifted herself off her bed and half-stumbled over to her shower. As the hot water fell down her shoulders, she couldn’t help but think about her rising anxiety working at the coffee shop. She knew she could perform well. There were days where she’d roll out customer’s drinks down one by one without a second thought. She was a biochemist, for God’s sake; being a barista was cake compared to that.

But Jemma knew that every so often, one customer would walk in through the door and throw her mind into mayhem.

_Skye._

She shivered amid the steam of her shower. Jemma seemed to just have her most spectacularly horrible days whenever she walked in, ever since the exploding milk incident.

“Damn you.”, she pouted. Jemma hated that she could do so well but crumble whenever Skye came around.

But despite all that, she knew she reveled in Skye’s presence. Her wavy, beautiful hair, the fantastic clothes she wore. Her face, always bringing a flutter to her heart. Her eyes, deep but welcoming. Sometimes if she passed close enough, Jemma would quietly inhale her smell and let it wash over her.

Jemma couldn’t deny it. She was simply attracted to this girl.

_Now if only I could make her a damn coffee right._

She sighed. Too much on her mind. Stepping out of the shower, she dried and dressed herself. Stepping out into the chilly winter morning, she looked up above her. The grey clouds looked almost opaque.

Looks like snow today.

When Jemma arrived at the coffee store, she noticed only Heisenberg inside, stocking the shelves with holiday decorations. Next to him, boxes of holly and Christmas baubles were stacked up to his waist.

_Was it December already?_

“Good morning, Jemma! Looks cold outside today. Might be slow!”

She smiled and nodded at him. Today, she was just hoping to work through a normal day with normal customers. Get her mind off things.

Specifically Skye.

“Maybe. You need any help here?”

“Nahh. I’m good. If you want, you can get behind the bar and start prepping the brewers. Maybe one of each roast should do the trick.”

Leaving her backpack in the back office, Jemma got behind the coffee bar and took a breath as she started to grind coffee. In the pleasurable quiet of the shop, she found her rhythm behind the bar and began to multitask around the cramped space. She seemed to glide across the bar.

Putting filters in coffee pots, brewing iced teas, stocking pastries, organizing the espresso machine layout to her particulars, grabbing syrup bottles, turning on the electronic POS. Before she knew it, the bar was more than ready to go. She turned to look at the clock on the far wall.

8:00am.

_Not bad._

Finished with her duties for the time being, Jemma took the visor off her head and tied it to her apron. Letting her hair fall a bit, she leaned on the bar’s countertop and observed the rest of the shop. She could see that Heisenberg by then had gone through most of his ornaments. The ceiling seemed to yell at her with the number of Christmas ornaments hanging from it. The windows were covered with the glare of hanging Christmas lights. Even the front door had a festive wreath with an angel on it.

She laughed to herself. The whole thing kind of clashed with the shop’s usually relaxed atmosphere.

“Heisenberg. I don’t want to knock your decorating skills, but this is….*really* tacky looking. It’s not even close to Christmas yet! At this rate, nobody is going to want to enjoy a coffee here.”

He turned around to face her, a grin on his face. He was always smiling.

“Hah. Maybe so. But…I have one more thing to do before it’s all done.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what he meant. Jemma watched as Heisenberg moved to the central light switch on the back office panel. Manipulating the switches, he turned to her.

“Close your eyes! I’m not going to do anything to you, I promise. Just give me two seconds here.”

Jemma smiled and obliged.

_What is going on here._

She paused for a beat. Then two. Three. She heard the speakers begin to crackle as they began to play a dull, low tune.

“OK! Open your eyes.”

Jemma opened her eyes and caught herself with an enormous smile on her face.

The store around her had transformed. The tackiness she noticed disappeared as she gazed around the shop in wonder. The change in lighting created such a warm feeling in the store. The ornaments glistened ever so slightly, reflecting the now cozy lights on the windows. The store took on an almost fireplace-illuminated glow, reminding her of when she was a young child admiring Christmas trees.

Over the speakers, the quiet tune began to take life, turning into sultry jazz. A piano echoed chords of comfort, backed by a slow snare and soulful bass.

Jemma turned to Heisenberg. “This is…I don’t even….It’s amazing! How did you get everything to look like this…? Even the music is…it’s all so beautiful!” She couldn’t keep her eyes from looking around more.

“I knew you’d like it. Well, to be honest its something I’ve never done before. And the track is something I found a few days ago, I forget the name. But it’s perfect, no?”

She nodded. “It’s lovely, Heisenberg. Truly.”

He leaned on the wall and grinned again.

“Well. I need to be honest with you.”

Heisenberg took a step toward her, looking past the coffee bar. “It was…well, it wasn’t my idea.”

Jemma furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

He nodded to someone behind her. Jemma turned her head over her shoulder. Her eyes widened ever so slightly; her face became warm.

_Oh shit._

Skye was standing in the doorway, wearing a long grey coat and a maroon beanie. Her face was beaming with that trademark smile of hers, small and precise but ever so cute. It took everything she could to keep her from blushing any more than she already was.

Skye walked toward the coffee bar, taking off her beanie. “Hi Jemma. I didn’t know it was Christmas already…”

Jemma was floored. Why is Skye here? Why is she the only one in here? What is going on…?!

She stammered through her response.

“I, uh…Hi, Skye. Good to see you again, good morning. The store is getting ready for the season, so I guess every day can be Christmas, right…? What do you think?”

_0 for 2, brain. Bravo._

She felt two hands drop onto her shoulders.

“Well Jemma. Skye and I have been talking, and we’ve noticed that you’ve been having a *tad* bit of trouble whenever she comes by. Since I’m the acting senior partner at this store, I thought it’d be good if she could help you out with that. Kind of like…immersion therapy. I need my staff to be on top of their game, so this might do the trick.”

Heisenberg’s voice had a slight tinge of sarcasm, but that didn’t matter. Her brain couldn’t process anything correctly at this point. All she could do was just take in the incredible moment, like a statue.

Skye smiled, taking off her coat. Under it, Jemma saw a deep-red apron, with a visor tied to it. Just like hers.

“I used to be a pretty good barista when I was younger, so maybe I can impart some of my genius to you.”

Jemma’s heart skipped a beat. Skye was going to be working with her. Skye. Behind the bar. Making coffee. With her. She couldn’t help but think that she was somehow going to cause the coffee shop to burn down.

_At least if they all became crispy critters, she wouldn’t have to worry about making a fool of herself in front of Skye._

“Alright. Well, I’m going to be in the back organizing the stock, so I’ll leave you two in front to handle everything. Have fun!”

Jemma felt the hands lift from her shoulders.

_Damn you, Heisenberg. Damn you._

Skye walked over behind the bar, revealing her full outfit for Jemma to see. She was wearing the darkest colored denim jeans. Moving her eyes up, she spied Skye’s white oxford shirt with the rolled-up sleeves that hugged the sides of her sinewy body ever so slightly.

Jemma’s heart began to beat out of her chest. Skye looked _impeccable._

“Ok! So then let’s do something simple….how about…Steaming milk!”, Skye said, reaching for a steaming pitcher.

Jemma groaned internally.

_Oh dear. Not again. Please, not again. Not in front of her…!_

She walked gingerly behind Skye, who was already prepping the pitcher under the steaming wand. Pulling the lever down, Skye held the pitcher in a perfect angle, the sound of ripping paper and frothing milk resounding through the jazzy atmosphere. Jemma looked down at the perfectly formed mountains of foam in Skye’s pitcher.

_She’s…perfect._

As quickly as it started, Skye pulled the lever again and brought the milk up to Jemma to look at.

“Look about right…? What do you think?”

_Gulp._

“W-well, I think it looks correctly formed; but I couldn’t help but notice it might be a bit too watery underneath, s-so…”

Skye smiled at her from behind the pitcher. “Ok, well how about you fix it. I’ll guide you, if you want!”

Jemma blushed. “N-no, that won’t be necessary, I can do it on my own. Thank you, S-Skye.” She grabbed the pitcher from Skye’s hands and held it under the steaming wand again. Lifting the lever, she closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable POP and the hot splash of twice-steamed milk.

_**FSSSSSSTTTTTTT** _

No pop. No splash. _Ripping paper._

Jemma opened her eyes. Before her was a perfectly steaming pitcher of milk. The milk swirled around, spilling over itself as it formed higher peaks of foam. Reaching for the lever, her hand met Skye’s as they both tried to pull it down. Jemma blushed for the millionth time that morning. Skye’s hand was so soft; almost like it was made to hold Jemma’s.

“Perfect job, Jemma. Couldn’t have done it without you.”, Skye said.

Jemma nodded at Skye, and gave her a small, sheepish grin.

“What else shall we do…? How about this…”

Jemma looked up and felt herself being pulled along, Skye already grabbing her hand to go over to the coffee brewers to work on something else. Nothing could take her away from the moment, and while her heart was already bursting, she never wanted it to end. It felt good.

The day passed onward, with Jemma and Skye both working on every single thing they could possibly do in the coffee shop. They made lattes, they made blended coffee slushes, they crafted all kinds of tea and tasted them all, taking and sharing notes about each drink.

They shared laughs and shared blunders, sang and hummed holiday songs, and tag-teamed working the bar and the front of house taking orders from customers who found their way into the store. Jemma felt at ease with Skye, feeding off her energy and wishing that Skye would come in every day like this.

Before she knew it, Jemma looked out the window.

“Its already night time…?”

“Yup, its about…8:45. Time flies, doesn’t it? I guess we should start cleaning up so we can both head home.”

Jemma turned to face Skye, who was wiping down the counter of the coffee bar.

_Home? Without you…?_

“Skye…!”, Jemma said abruptly. She cursed her brain for the utterance.

Skye looked up, her tired eyes widening a bit. “What’s up, Jemma?”

“I…was wondering, with all the things you helped me with today, do you mind if I make you something…? I noticed you haven’t had anything to drink or eat today, and there aren’t any more customers…It’s the least I could do!”

The fatigue in Skye’s form left as she stood up straight, her face perking up. She put the rag aside.

“You know, I would love that, Jemma. I’d love something warm. Surprise me!”

Skye sat down at the coffee bar, taking her apron off and looking at Jemma intently.

Jemma felt her heart begin to race. Picking up a steaming pitcher, she poured in whole milk and let it foam up as much as she could while keeping it smooth and velvety. At the same time, she grabbed a large ceramic cup and pulled two shots of espresso into it, letting it cascade over a coffee spoon to force mix the shot components together.

Taking the mug off the espresso machine, she carefully poured the steamed milk in, letting the espresso mix evenly. At the end, she moved her hand ever so slightly, making sure Skye’s drink was made to perfection. She embraced her expert rhythm.

Putting it on a small plate, she brought her creation to Skye personally.

“One tall flat white, for Skye.” Jemma looked straight at her.

Skye smiled, picking up the cup with both hands. “Thank you, Jemma. It looks simply great. I love the single drop of foam in the center! Almost like a tiny work of art.”

She took a sip, her eyes closing for a split second as she savored the taste.

Without even a moment’s hesitation, Jemma reached out to Skye’s hands and lowered the cup gently back down to the table. She brought her lips to Skye’s. She felt a wave of warmth come over her as she felt Skye’s soft skin, mixed with the sweetness and bitterness of the flat white she had just sipped. Jemma’s heart seemed to beat in time, her lips pulsing ever so slightly with excitement.

_Wait._

Jemma backed away suddenly. Her mind had caught up with her feelings; she had just kissed Skye. Kissed her. As her mind began to race once more, she felt her face flush again, and she immediately dropped her face toward the floor.

“I-I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came o-over me, I understand if you want to leave; I’ll clean up the rest of the store, I r-really appreciated you coming here to he-“

“Shhh.”

She looked up. Standing in front of her was Skye, her face emanating a thoughtful air. A caring air.

Without skipping a beat, Skye embraced Jemma, resting her head on her shoulder. Jemma could feel the warmth of Skye’s cheeks, the steady rhythm of her heart in her ear. Stepping back, Skye looked Jemma squarely in the eye.

“I think that was all I needed. A perfect drink…from a perfect girl.”

Jemma smiled. Amid the soft and festive lights of the coffee shop, she couldn’t help but draw herself in for another kiss, savoring Skye’s soft lips and her wonderful, sweet smell.

Maybe Christmas _was_ already here.


End file.
